Women's Basketball Hosts Loyola Greyhounds at Sojka Pavilion for Saturday Matchup

SPECTATOR POLICY: Bison Athletics and the Bucknell women's basketball team are pleased to welcome fans back to Sojka Pavilion this season. Please note that per University policy, masks are required for all individuals inside all public and academic indoor campus spaces, regardless of social distancing or vaccination status.

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell women's basketball team looks to enter the win column in Patriot League play for the first time this season when the Loyola Greyhounds visit Sojka Pavilion on Saturday. Bucknell is hungry for a victory following back-to-back losses to the two service academies.

Bucknell has won four in a row over the Greyhounds, including two regular season wins and a Patriot League quarterfinal victory last season. With a win on Saturday, the Bison will be right back in the thick of the Patriot League standings with 10 overall victories on the season.

Loyola, which lost its first league game to Boston U. on Wednesday, is also looking to improve its position in the league following a 3-8 start to the season. The Greyhounds have been close, losing three of their games by just two points. While senior Taleah Dixon is leading the Greyhounds in scoring, newcomers Lex Therien and Laura Salmerón have also had strong rookie campaigns through the first 11 games, combining for three of the eight Patriot League Rookie of the Week awards.

Bucknell senior Taylor O'Brien recorded her 20^th consecutive double-digit scoring effort on Wednesday, despite playing just 27 minutes. Teammates Marly Walls and Carly Krsul are also coming off near double-doubles, and the group as a whole will look to get back on track in front of a home crowd this weekend.

• Game Notes
• Digital Program
• 2021-22 Media Guide

What: Bucknell (9-4, 0-2 PL) vs. Loyola (3-8, 0-1 PL)
When: Saturday, Jan. 8 at 2 p.m.
Where: Sojka Pavilion – Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 90.5 WVBU
Live Statistics: BucknellBison.com

Last Game's Starters
Sr./G: Marly Walls (8.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.4 apg)
Sr./G: Taylor O'Brien (18.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.2 spg)
Jr./G: Tai Johnson (3.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.9 apg)
Fr./G: Cecelia Collins (11.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.5 apg)
Jr./F: Emma Shaffer (4.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.5 apg)

With a win over Loyola, Bucknell would...
• ... improve to 10-4 overall this season.
• ... move to 43-11 overall under Woodruff.
• ... improve to 23-8 in all-time games against the Greyhounds.
• ... collect a fifth straight win against the Greyhounds.
• ... improve to 25-4 in Patriot League play under Woodruff.
• ... move to 5-1 at home this season.
• ... improve to 23-3 in home games under Woodruff.
• ... move to 265-180 all-time in Patriot League play.
• ... snap a two-game losing skid.

Headlines
• Bucknell hosts Loyola at Sojka Pavilion on Saturday in search of its first Patriot League victory of the season. The Bison are looking to make it five consecutive victories over the Greyhounds after winning all three meetings last year, including a 65-50 win in the Patriot League quarterfinals.
• After winning eight in a row, the Bison have suffered losses in their first two Patriot League games of the year. Most recently, Bucknell fell 57-55 to Navy at Sojka Pavilion. It was just the third home game Bucknell has lost in three seasons and its first home loss in regular season Patriot League play since Jan. 6, 2018.
• Prior to Wednesday, Bucknell had not lost back-to-back Patriot League games since the 2016-17 season. The Bison also hadn't started 0-2 in league play since 2011-12.
• Senior Taylor O'Brien reached double-digit scoring for the 20th consecutive game on Wednesday. She remains second in the Patriot League in scoring this season (18.5 ppg) and is second in field goal percentage (.476).
• After matching her career high in points in the Patriot League opener at Army, senior Marly Walls pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds against Navy. Walls also leads the Bison in assists (3.4 apg). She posted six against the Mids and has had 6+ assists four times this season.
• Forward Carly Krsul scored in double figures for a 10th time this season on Wednesday and was one rebound shy of collecting her fourth double-double. Krsul also posted two blocks and is tied for first in the category among league opponents, averaging two per game.
• Fellow junior forward Emma Shaffer scored eight points against the Mids last time out on 4-for-4 shooting. Shaffer chipped in two assists in the contest as well, adding to a well-rounded season in which she's averaging 4.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in just 14.2 minutes per game. Shaffer is also shooting 58.5 percent on the season.
• Bucknell has been dominant against league opponents for some time and has gone 88-12 in PL play since the start of the 2015-16 season. Under head coach Trevor Woodruff, Bucknell is 24-4 against league opponents during the regular season.
• As a team, Bucknell ranks third in the Patriot League in scoring offense (63.3) and second in scoring defense (57.3). The Bison lead the league in turnover margin (+2.62).
• Bucknell went 9-2 in non-conference play, ending that portion of the schedule with six straight double-digit victories.
• Bucknell has seen some of its most successful seasons in program history over recent years, including five first-place regular season finishes and two Patriot League Championship titles in the last seven seasons. Bucknell has finished atop the conference in the regular season in each of the last three, going 61-14 overall during that stretch.
• Bison head coach Trevor Woodruff is in his third season with the team, and he was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year in each of his first two. Bucknell has gone 24-4 in Patriot League play under his direction and 42-11 overall.

Scouting Loyola/Series History
• The Greyhounds, which were picked ninth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll, are 3-8 overall this season and dropped their first and only Patriot League game vs. Boston U. 64-51 on Wednesday, Jan. 5. Loyola had its first two league games postponed and has lost three contests in a row. Loyola's last victory was a 56-55 decision against Mount St. Mary's back on Dec. 4.
• The Greyhounds have shared two common opponents with Bucknell this season. They lost to George Mason 53-51 on Nov. 12, and they defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 68-59 in overtime back on Nov. 14.
• Loyola has been involved in a host of tightly contested games this season. Four have been decided by two points or fewer, and the Greyhounds have gone to overtime once as well.
• Loyola is led in scoring, 3-pointers and steals by guard Taleah Dixon. The senior, who is averaging 12.5 points per contest, has scored in double figures eight times this season, including a season-high 23 points vs. Mount St. Mary's. Dixon scored 14 points against the Bison in last year's season opener, and she posted 26 in the 2019 PL quarterfinal at Bucknell.
• The Greyhounds also have a pair of talented rookies in Lex Therien and Laura Salmerón, which have combined for three of the eight Patriot League Rookie of the Week awards so far. Therien is second on the roster with 10.4 points per game and leads the team in rebounding (9.5 rpg). She has three double-doubles this season.
• Loyola leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage but has attempted the fewest in the league.
• Loyola is led by first-year head coach Danielle O'Banion, who most recently served as an assistant at Minnesota. O'Banion previously spent four seasons as the head coach at Kent State, compiling a 21-98 record.
• Bucknell leads 22-8 in the all-time series with the Greyhounds, which began in 1984. Since the Greyhounds joined the Patriot League, Bucknell is 17-3 in the series. The Bison are also 14-2 at home against Loyola.
• Bucknell has claimed each of the last four matchups, including three wins last season. The Greyhounds' last win in the series was in Baltimore during Woodruff's first season in 2020.
• Bucknell won all three games last season by double digits. The most recent game was a 65-50 victory at home in the 2021 Patriot League quarterfinals. Bucknell limited the Greyhounds to just 11 first-half points. Three Bison scored in double figures, led by Taylor O'Brien's double-double (22 points, 11 rebounds).

Series Record: 22-8
Record at Home: 14-2
Record at Loyola: 8-5
Neutral Site Record: 0-1
Trevor Woodruff Record: 4-1
Current Streak: 4 win
Longest Winning Streak: 6

New Notable Career Highs
• Cecelia Collins - 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 38 minutes vs. Navy
• Marly Walls - 10 rebounds vs. Navy
• Emma Shaffer - 29 minutes vs. Navy

Overall Success at Sojka Pavillion
• The Bison are an incredible 79-9 at Sojka Pavilion since the start of the 2015-16 season. Bucknell has lost just one game at home in each of the last three seasons.
• Now in its 20th season playing at Sojka Pavilion, Bucknell is 175-76 (.697) on its home court.
• Bucknell finished a perfect 16-0 at Sojka Pavilion in 2016-17.
• The Bison are currently 4-1 in Sojka this season and 22-3 during the Trevor Woodruff era.

Consistent Patriot League Success
• Bucknell is 88-12 in Patriot League play since the start of the 2015-16 season. The run includes two Patriot League Tournament titles and five first-place finishes in the regular season. Bucknell also has the best overall record in the league during that span at 144-41.

Up Next
The Bison head to Bethlehem, Pa. to take on reigning Patriot League Champion Lehigh on Wednesday, Jan. 12. The Mountain Hawks currently sit in first place in the Patriot League standings at 10-3 (2-0 PL). Bucknell and Lehigh matched up five times last season, and Bucknell claimed all four regular season matchups before falling to the Mountain Hawks in the Patriot League semifinal game. Wednesday's game tips off at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Women's Basketball Hosts Loyola Greyhounds at Sojka Pavilion for Saturday Matchup

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cecelia Collins

Tai Johnson

Carly Krsul

Taylor O'Brien

Emma Shaffer

Marly Walls

Women's Basketball Hosts Loyola Greyhounds at Sojka Pavilion for Saturday Matchup

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cecelia Collins

Tai Johnson

Carly Krsul

Taylor O'Brien

Emma Shaffer

Marly Walls

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